Help with tutorial "creating a statue puzzle"

Hello all,

I feel a bit silly posting about needing help since I was simply trying to replicate the work of a tutorial.

Anyway, I'm trying the tutorial "creating a statue puzzle" found here: http://www.rpgmakerweb.com/support/products/tutorials (click RPG Maker VX, it's the last one).

I'm using RPG Maker VX Ace (yeah, I'm one of those humble bundle deal people) and thought I would give it a shot.

The problem:

when I tried my endresult, the "throphy" (= cart with gold, foolishly named "EV0016" as I forgot to rename it) didn't unlock properly. I think it might be something to do with the variable tracker as the trophy "unlocks" with a condition switch (but with my limited understanding, I might be wrong)

For some reason I got it to work yesterday but I have absolutely no idea how that happened (well, I have one idea... more later on). So Shaz encouraged me to post anyway to find out more.

Luckily I already got some screenshots from before it started working and I hope one of you guys can help me out with this as I'm very new to the software and want to continue learning.

So, I followed the tutorial step by step and will do the same here:

1) just took a sample map to set the puzzle in. ( = starting map.png). I'm using the little cemetary as the place to set the puzzle.

2) created the left and right statue event ( left statue first even page.png etc.)

Those 2 steps are the first 5 pages of the tutorial, and I'm very certain I got those right.

Anyway, then it's up to the variable tracker and I'm sure my mistake must lie there somewhere.

3) Variable tracker: I make sure it's the same as on page 9, only difference is that on page 8 I had to find "operand -> character" someplace else but I guess that's due to the tutorial being written for VX while I use VX Ace.

Anyway, when I first finished the tutorial and it didn't work, I spotted a mistake here but after fixing, the puzzle still didn't work properly.

4) moving the statues works like a charm, no problems there

5) On page 11-12 I got confused. The writer is talking about a second parallel process. I was unsure if this is a completely seperate event or that it could be on page 2 of the already existing parallel process.

Anyway, in the attachments, you can see on "starting map" that I set the second parallel process as the second page of the first parallel proces. That didn't work out. I also tried it as a completely seperate event, didn't work out either (but perhaps this is because I made some other errors?).

In the version that I have now that DOES work, it's a completely seperated event. Could this have been my problem? Perhaps I misunderstand the use of those second, third, ... event pages?

Anyway... made it look exactly like page 15 so I thought I was doing fine...

6) because I'm not using a door but giving out some gold, I didn't do anything door-related. I did however try the "flash screen" and that was an utter disaster.

I spotted in my attachments I moved it all to the cart (not ideal game-wise of course) since it was driving me nuts: the screen either constantly flashed and the statues disappeared OR after some trying, the screen just stayed white (the last one because I had set the event on autorun because I was getting desperate finding a solution). 

Obviously, I think, something went wrong with the variable checker. It thinks the statues are already in the correct place, though I was rather certain I copied the tutorial well.

Am I right in thinking I went wrong with the variables?

Also, originally, I wanted that after the player pushes the statues into their correct places, the screen flashes and a treasure chest appears. I was busy doing that when I noticed I couldn't walk over the event tile with the statue. I guess I forgot to set priority to "under characters"? I didn't follow up on it though.

7) the reset tile worked

Sooo... since this is a long post, a quick recap:

- got flashing screens and statues disappearing, making me think I messed up with the variables checker

- should the two parallel processes be on two different tiles or can I use "page 1" & "page 2".

- because of the constant flashing, I took that out, placed it on the cart with gold (="trophy") and used the switch to check if the player was allowed the money

- yesterday, I got the whole deal to work BUT I changed one thing: on page two of the statues I also placed switch 15 in the condition on the left side. Does this make any sense or is it just a fluke that adding that switch made it work while it was something else?

- could someone perhaps explain how I can get a sound to be played when one statue hits the right tile (and also when the second one hits the right tile)? Now the player doesn't have a clear indication (s)he is doing things right...

I think that's about it for my problem, sorry for making such a long post.

Already many thanks in advance to those taking the time to read it, this problem has been driving me nuts for hours.

(Also, since this is my first question, do tell if I missed out important info, I tried to post as much as possible but perhaps I missed out certain things?)

The parallel processes should either be in two separate events, which is what the tut says, ***or***


The way I would have done it would be to check in the original parallel process when the Left X coordinate and Y Coordinate were both correct, and when the Right X Coordinate and Y coordinate were correct.Then a SUCCESS! switch would be set if they both were true. 


You have almost got this - see below!


Then the second process would not need to be parallel process, just conditional on the switch, which I think you named "statues correct." 


I am not sure why you have an event called "right marker" and "left marker."


******************************


Ahh, okay I have looked through your events more carefully now.


Looking at Variable Tracker, Page 1 and Variable Tracker, Page 2 (last two images)


After you set all the variables on your first page of your parallel process, you need to set a self switch to "ON" in order to get to the second page and have it execute the way you are expecting. Then on the second page you need to set it to "OFF"  If there is no condition on the second page then it and only it always executes. 


But really you could put all the event commands in the first page (better, I think.)


Should fix quite a bit. =]


What is happening right now is that your first page of your parallel process never executes.


See here for more info on Event pages:


http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/15098-conditions-triggers-and-event-pages/


**********************


I take it the "statues treasure" switch opens a door or something?

Thanks for the help.

I guess I misread that part of the parallel processes since English isn't my native tongue.

I understand your reasoning just not so sure how to get it done as I have never done a parallel proces and variables before.

Now, as I undertand it, as soon as the coordinates of the statues are equal to those of the markers. With your reasoning, you set that if the coordinates of the statues are 'something something', it's a succes?

How do you set the coordinates to be 'something something'? (yeah, probably a silly question)

****

I never considered switches like that: on on page 1 and off on page 2... neat! Thanks!

So page 2 can be cut-pasted on the first page without a problem (on the right spot obviously)?

Also big thanks for the link, I really need a good tutorial on variables and parallel processes, I'll get to it this evening.

****

No, the "statues treasure" doesn't open a door. The idea is that if the statues are placed correctly, the cart just outside the cemetary gives you 5000 gold.

It works, though obviously I need to place the flash at the moment you place the statues correctly.

Anyway, big thanks for your time and help!

(sorry for all the questions)